


Moths to a Flame

by Miyuki_Valentine



Category: EXO (Band), GOT7
Genre: Fantasy, Multi, Reverse Harem, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 08:06:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8155112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miyuki_Valentine/pseuds/Miyuki_Valentine
Summary: Only unique flames can draw unique creatures. Or was it ordinary flames can draw weird creatures? Her grandma says the weirdest things but they oddly always made sense to her. Except this one.Yin and yang. The perfect balance. Karma. Her favourite word. Egalitarianism. Their clan’s standard. At least that’s what it’s supposed to be. Unfortunately, reality isn’t perfect.Her clan was on the verge of corruption. A word that was supposed to be unknown to them. Her great grandmother was getting tired; her grandmother didn’t have the motivation nor cared; and her mother didn’t have the ability. So it was only natural that she took over, right?She’s always been aware of her position. How can she not? It’s what had driven her, starting from when she was a child, to create her own world more suited for people like her: a shadow world.It might be because she understood this but only in the deepest part of her mind that something like this would happen to her of all people. And here she thought that K-dramas, animes and mangas were exaggerating. She knew it was every girl’s dream to be loved. But wasn’t this a bit too much?





	1. The Soul Knows

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that there will be multiple languages used and my grasp on any other than English is practically non-existent and my use of certain terms will be based off research.
> 
> Please do correct me if my term usage is wrong in any way.
> 
> Also, this is a reverse harem revolving around the main OC. Any males, not just the boy bands, may have a potential to be part of it.

Dreary. It seemed her mood lately hasn’t changed a bit. Not unusual. But not exactly normal either. At least, that’s what everyone’s been saying; she had a bad habit of abstaining from social gatherings so she wasn’t sure that their words were accurate.

She had been feeling rather tired and lazy, not that she wasn’t usually. But this time was different. It was an ache in the bone. As if her muscles had finally given way to the exhaustion caused by her nocturnal sleeping habits. No, she shook her head gently. Not physically tired, but something in her was _exhausted_. What had she been doing lately?

The young girl cracked one eye open and rolled to the side. The oversized bed caused a wave of confusion to pass, her almost onyx eyes took in the dim lighting of the unfamiliar surroundings. She felt her heart skip a bit before settling as she spotted her precious cargo. Her messenger bag was hung on the back of a leather arm chair: its lock secure. She glanced around the room and spotted the connecting bathroom door ajar; she could hear the distinct sound of the shower pattering inside.

It wasn’t until a familiar mop of black hair came into view that she felt herself relaxing. She took her time to analyse his features: even after three years, he was still as handsome as ever - albeit more refined. He was no longer the boy she admired but a man she adored. Despite just coming out of the shower, his wild hair seemed to refuse to be put down. The occasional wisp poking out caused her to sleepily smile. The defined muscles rippled along his arms as he scrubbed his head proved he had kept his one-sided promise.

It wasn’t until she saw him staring did she greet him, “Good morning.”

His customary smirk melted into a sweet smile, “Evenin’ sleeping beauty.”

She blinked and turned back to squint at the analogue clock hanging on the opposite wall. The late hour would have made her jump out of bed if it weren’t for the _aching_ tiredness that never seemed to leave as of late. Although, she glanced at the handsome male, his presence seemed to soothe the ache a little.

She flopped back onto the bed. His smirk returned with a chuckle.

“You look good there.”

The girl dragged her eyes to the older male and resisted to roll them, “Where am I?”

She felt the bed dip to one side and, due to her body type, almost rolled with it. Thankfully, a warm back stopped her from moving.

“Rosemary Hotel. I personally picked it for us.”

The female frowned, “A hotel?”

“Don’t worry, it belongs to one of your Uncles. He gave me this suite when I told him you were visiting,” the dashing male chuckled again. A familiar warmth spread through her chest at his thoughtfulness. Though she felt a hint of suspicion at the gift.

She hummed in thought. It shouldn’t surprise her how easily they chucked these luxuries around, but it still did. She wanted to be annoyed about how they could just spoil her rotten like this. But her Uncle had never let her reject a gift before. She doubted it would start now, “So… it’s mine then?”

He glanced into his peripheral vision and admired the soft glow that the moonlight gave the young woman, “Yup. As always, what’s mine is yours. Hope you don’t mind but I ended up raiding the fridge.”

A smile threatened to break out.

“Of course you did.”

She shook her head in disbelief but the faintest twitch on the corner of her lips belied her amusement. She slowly rose to sit up; the cotton covers slid down onto her lap. She took note of her dress, or lack thereof, her previous uniform was replaced with an oversized shirt that barely reached mid-thigh. No doubt it belonged to her mischievous companion. The female turned with questioning eyes towards the male who only put his hands up in surrender without the slightest hint of regret.

“I missed seeing you in my clothes.”

She glared daggers at the smirking male before she crossed her arms and turned away in indignation. The female began a mental countdown. Three... two… one…

“Aww, love, don’t be like that. I’m sorry, okay? I honestly didn’t have anything else to put you in.”

While the blank expression remained, she inwardly giggled. Sometimes, he was a bit too predictable. She could practically see his pouting face without having to turn around.

At least some things don’t change.

She felt strong arms encircle her waist and a face buried itself in the junction between her shoulder and neck. The young man nuzzled the soft skin and inhaled the sweet scent.

The female relaxed her stance and leaned back into the embrace, “Why couldn’t you have left me in my own clothes then,” she grumbled.

“My first reason still stands,” she could practically feel the smirk blooming again.

She didn’t bother replying and only shook her head in exasperation. This guy could be so frustrating at times. She glanced at him again, she supposed it could be one of his charms.

“Lance, I’m going to have a shower now,” she shrugged her shoulders in an attempt to dispatch the clingy male but he only tightened his hold, “you should probably let go now.”

She felt him kiss her hair and drag her further into the bed with him, “Probably.”

He pushed both of them down until he was back-hugging her. This time, she didn’t suppress the eye roll. She knew it was useless and pointless to argue so she melted into his arms. He hummed in approval and snaked an arm under the shirt to rest on her hips. His warm arms reminded her of her purpose and so she lay awake. It wasn’t long until she heard his hollow breathing and felt his arms loosen around her. With the stealth of a ninja, she slipped out of his arms and replaced herself with a pillow, grabbed her bag and entered the bathroom.

She took a quick peak through the door to ensure the male was still sleeping. Once satisfied, she closed it with a soft click. She turned around, only to gasp in wonder. The bathroom looked like it belonged to a rich playboy mansion rather than a hotel suite. The bathtub was large enough to fit ten people, the shower cubicle was big enough to contain at least four at once and the back wall was just a gigantic mirror. The entire room was either in speckled cream marble or silver and gold trimmings, buffed and polished; it didn’t look like it had been used at all. The marble flooring caused her sense of wonder to turn downwards. Even the flooring was spotless. Not a single drop of water.

The female placed her precious bag onto the marble bench where another mirror greeted her. Her reflection made her grimace. She looked like a mess. Her normally straight hair seemed too tangle to brush, the thickness even more obvious than usual. She pulled out her brush and began to untangle the knots that had formed during her nap. Once satisfied, she set aside her clothes and towels and undressed. The cool air caused a shiver to run through her toes.

She set the shower to her preferred temperature and stepped in. She started softly humming an old lullaby as she felt all the sweat and grime of the day dripping away. She couldn’t help but wonder how her companion could still smell her without blanching. She smelt filthy. Or maybe that was just her? She found the shampoo, conditioner and body wash on a rack. One by one she applied the products. The soothing smell of rain forest, honey dew and coconuts entered her nose and she visibly sighed in relief.

Other thoughts started filtering through her mind once the fog of sleep started to dissipate. It felt odd to be back in South Korea without her family. She almost forgot about her original purpose but the gleaming box, that she saw through the steam, in her bag was an ugly reminder. The young female will never understand how she still has this bloody position. She had a feeling the deep ache had something to do with it. In some ways, it wasn’t that bad. Her eyes hardened in memory. But there were times, like now, where she wished that she had never won that stupid competition. Honestly, she knows it’s out of ignorance but the stupid choices some people make, truly make _her_ question the human race’s intelligence.

Then again Einstein once did say that _“there were two things infinite: The Universe and human stupidity. And I’m not even sure about the Universe.”_

No matter how weird it sounds, every now and then, she really disliked being right. In fact, during those times, she hated it. Because sometimes, the price really isn’t worth it. Sometimes making the worst decision is the best. There it was again, that bone aching tiredness. She shook her head and pushed the feeling to the side.

She saw the wrinkles start to form in her hands and decided it was about time to leave the comfort of the man-forced waterfall. She stepped out of the cubicle and wrapped a warm, dark fluffy towel around her being. With a different towel she dried herself and with another she wrapped around her hair. Almost instantly, a warm -but not unpleasant- heat started to circulate the room. It made her eyebrows raise in question. She noticed the water droplets start to evaporate leaving no mark or water stain. Now she knew how it was kept so clean. It seemed her uncle truly did take her advice.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her light olive skin had started to darken again and huffed.

Anyways, she had better start preparing. She already had a ton of work to finish before the first meeting. The female had always hated being tardy. As they say, better now than never.

But then again, there is no such thing as never.


	2. The Heiress

Lance woke up to the smell of heaven. He only knew of three people who could cook like master chefs without having to take classes. And he knew only two of them were nice enough to whip up this complicated dish so early in the morning. Too bad one was currently in Paris.

He flipped onto his stomach and inhaled the exotic scent of his best friend from the used pillow. The female really didn’t understand how good she smelt. He felt a surge of pride when he also detected a tinge of perfume that _he_ bought for her. His eyes glazed over in memory,

_“And what might my pretty little girl be looking at?”_

_A young girl, no older than ten, whipped her head to the side and came nose-to-chest with a familiar boy. Her hands clutched over her racing heart as she glared up into the eyes of the perpetrator, “Lance! You scared me! What have I told you about sneaking up on people like that?!”_

_The young boy smirked, “Not my fault you weren’t paying attention, Your Majesty~”_

_Hearing the teasing tone, the girl just rolled her eyes and huffed as she returned to her previous activity._

_“Babe~”_

_Without looking, she whacked his arm._

_“For sweetness sake Lance! We’re in public.”_

_“Then answer me.”_

_He started tugging strands of the female’s hair, “Tell me~”_

_Not bothered, the girl just rolled her eyes again, “Isn’t it obvious?”_

_The male looked at the rows of different branded perfumes and shrugged._

_“Not really. For who?”_

_“Me.”_

_His eyes widened. He had never known the girl to be overly fond of perfume and due to her extremely picky nature she only liked a few selective types. Seeing her concentrated face made the male’s eyes soften and a small smile broke through his usual playful mask. She was cute even when she didn’t want to be._

_Not sure about the occasion but wanting to help. He picked a few bottles and started testing the scents: the young girl took no notice. Row after row he kept searching; the scents were either too strong for her sensitive nose or they didn’t match her personality. Too spicy, too sweet, no depth…_

_It been almost ten minutes and he was just about to give up but a glimmer in the glass cabinets caught his attention. The perfumes behind the glass looked very familiar but he couldn’t place why. Calling a staff, he asked to test the caramel tinted glass bottle. His eyes brightened at his discovery. It would be perfect for her! The tropical scent was so very similar to her own. He bought the product, thanked the staff assistant and rushed off to find the girl._

_She was exactly where he left her and he almost ran into her due to his momentum. Immediately, she began her lecture._

_“Lance! This is a shopping centre not a playground. You mustn’t run around like that! Someone else could’ve been seriously injured! What i-”_

_She never finished her sentence since she was crushed into his embrace. The female was about to make a sound of protest but the sound died out as she saw what was in his hands, “Lance?”_

_She stared wide-eyed as he handed her the box. He thought it would’ve been useless to wrap it. But he wasn’t prepared for the shine of tears that suddenly sprung out but hadn’t yet fallen. He started to panic, “Don’t you like it?”_

_“No, no!” he saw her wipe her tears and slowly relaxed, “this is a wonderful gift,” her beaming face caused a fond smile to spread, “thank you!”_

_He reciprocated the bear hug and was, once again, sorry to let her go. But he didn’t want to cause anymore tears and so just smiled and kissed her forehead. It seemed to do the trick as her eyes didn’t have the shine of tears but instead glittered in adoration. He almost felt like crushing her again. Her petite structure just made her even cuter._

_He saw her take a whiff and promptly started to spray herself._

_“This is my favourite from now on,” again with that bright eye-smile._

His flashback was brought to an end by a soft voice.

“And I thought I was the only one that gets lost in thought.”

Lance sat up in bed and rested himself against the headboard. He gave the female a lazy smirk but didn’t bother answering. Instead his eyes were busy devouring her figure; high-heeled leather ankle boots with tucked in skinny jeans and a lavender long-sleeved silk blouse seemed to be the outfit of the day. He missed being the one picking out her outfit. It gave him a reason to see her strip. His line of thought deepened his smirk. Her narrowed eyes had a playful glint and let him know that she knew exactly what he thought of her at the moment.

The young female just shook her head in amusement and gave him a small smile. She walked towards him and sat onto the side of the bed, right next to him, “Breakfast is ready, I’ve made your favourite.”

He grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap so that she was sitting sidewards. He nuzzled her hair and inhaled her tropical scent. Her perfume perfectly blending in.

“Where are you headed off to?”

He felt her hug his waist, “I’ve got some errands to run and a few meetings today,” she pushed herself back to connect their eyes, “I won’t be back till late, so I can’t promise anything.”

He playfully butted heads, “You’re such a workaholic.”

Her cheeks puffed out in protest.

“I am not. I don’t enjoy running all over the place but I don’t have much of a choice.”

His eyes darkened at the reminder, “I know…”

Seeing his mood take a sour turn, she started peppering his face with kisses. When she saw a smile blossom, she grinned in relief and pulled back.

“Don’t worry Kuya, we can spend some bonding time later.”

She saw his eyes brightened and giggled behind her closed fist. The female stood up and offered her hand. He took it without a moment’s hesitation and she pulled him up effortlessly. They both made their way to the connecting kitchen/dining area where a big flat television screen was playing out the world news. They both sat down in their respective spots and began to eat their meal.

Before they started, Lance remembered something, “How long has it been since you’ve spoken in Korean?”

It was only now that the girl realised they had been speaking in English. It felt so natural that it completely slipped her radar. She chuckled in response before taking a bite out of her meal.

It took her a moment to reply, “Believe it or not. About 14 hours ago. Don’t worry Lance. I’ll make sure to talk in Korean every time I exit our domain.”

She saw confusion swimming in his eyes and only grinned in response. Lance was tempted to continue to pester the girl for answers but saw her digging into her food. He momentarily shrugged off his curiosity to devour the scrumptious meal.

The girl saw his distraction and inwardly giggled. She had no plan to tell him of her latest language practice partners.

-

An hour later, the female could be found locking up the hotel suite and adjusting the strap of her messenger bag. She had emptied out most of the items early that morning but the change in weight created an odd imbalance on her shoulders. It seemed she was too used to the heavy package; it left her shoulder feeling overly light.

She entered the nearby elevator and pressed the button for the lobby, she didn’t realise her suite was so far up. As the elevator slowly filled up with occupants, the girl scooted closer to the back corner. She was naturally small so the other occupants were considerate enough to give her a bit more room – just in case she got squished.

Once the elevator finally arrived on the first floor of the building, almost immediately, the other occupants fled. It was quite amusing seeing so many business men try to run in suits without looking ridiculous or rushed. She stepped out of the elevator and headed straight to reception. She had an uncle to talk to.

Out of habit, she took out her fan from the front pocket of her bag and opened it to cover the bottom half of her face. As she approached the front desk, she noticed a shift in mood as some of the employees recognised her insignia.

All her fans had a two-dimensional lotus flower whose outline was emphasised by a silver metallic shine; its centre composed of the yin and yang symbol and each petal started silver before sharpening into a pastel colour at its tip (her favourite being the pastel purple tips). The lotus took up most of the foreground while the background varied between fans. Depending on the occasion would depend on what the background and colour of her lotus would be. This one had a depiction of the dawn by the beach as its background.

While she did personally design her fans, she had let her darling soul sister be the one to actually paint the design on. However, their roles were reversed when it came to her best friend’s fans.

The young teen snapped out of her thoughts when she finally arrived at the desk. The receptionist seemed to be oblivious to the commotion among her colleagues.

Lowering her fan with a polite smile, she asked, “Has Byun Sa Jang left a message for me?”

The lady curled her lips upwards as a response. The young girl inwardly grimaced at the fake gesture. She felt almost instant hostility from this woman who completely disregarded her question.

“Oh? Who might you be? Are you lost little girl?”

Obviously, she was one of the employees that didn’t recognise her. She wasn’t sure whether to snicker at her misfortune or feel sorry for the glares she was receiving from her manager that did recognise her. Although, she seemed to be either completely oblivious to her manager’s growing ire or was completely ignoring it. Either way, it seemed he wasn’t too happy with her response.

Before he could approach, she sent him a meaningful glance that stopped his tracks. She only turned her attention back to the rude woman when he had nodded in acknowledgement. The woman in question didn’t notice the exchange either which further solidified her resolve.

Instead of answering her, she flashed the receptionist her identification card. The woman took a glance at it before a bored expression overtook her painted face.

“Hm? So? Have you gone mute now, little girl? Would you like me to call in someone that can understand you?”

Her taunting tone only caused the teen to inwardly smirk. She knew exactly what the woman was feeling. The girl could practically see the woman’s seething form behind the plastic smile.

She only raised her eyebrows before flipping over her card that showed her V.I.P status. She felt the air between the two of them grow tenser and almost laughed out loud at the barely noticeable scowl that adorned the woman’s face. The scowl vanished the second it appeared. It seemed that she had driven the older woman up a wall with no chance to mend her blunders. Perhaps she was having too much fun? But she felt that her uncle had already too much on his plate to deal with the petty jealousy of his employees. The father clock reminded her of her busy schedule and decided to finally hit the nail.

Her soft voice took a sharp edge, “No, I am not mute. For your information, you have just violated three important rules for a front desk receptionist of F.T.S Corp.”

The teen could see the woman about to retort but didn’t pause her lecture, “One, you must always greet the client before they greet you. Two, never ignore a question-”

By this point, she could feel the drilling stares of passer-by’s as she continued her speech, “and three, whether directly or indirectly, you must never insult the customers lest one of them decide to sue you,” she sent a hard stare towards the older woman who was on the verge of snapping.

“I asked a simple question and expected a simple answer. Your attitude is irritating. I don’t _care_ what your relationship with Byun Sa Jang is or was. All I wanted was to know was whether my uncle left me a message or not,” she snapped her fan closed and threw a dark glare over her shoulder as she walked around the desk to move onto a different person, “next time, use some common sense and actually read my card before attacking me.”

She didn’t bother watching the woman flounder on her words or get lectured by her manager as she turned to a friendlier face. Neither did she see the woman go completely pale.

Before a single word left her mouth, the new face in front gave her a warm smile and bowed.

“Welcome back, Milady. I’m afraid your uncle isn’t within the premises right now. However, he did leave a note.”

She blinked in surprise, her expression softening at the nervous stance of the employee, and she giggled behind her, once again, open fan. The sound seemed to relax the other woman.

“Don’t worry, I won’t bite. You are not her,” she tilted her head sideways to the receptionist being lectured by a bulky man, his towering structure blocked her view on the woman’s face, “do you mind if I ask how you know me? And what’s your name?”

The woman straightened up with a more relaxed expression, “My name is Liena, Milady. The President has made it crystal clear that you are to be treated with the utmost respect,” she handed her a small envelope with her most common alias written on the front and lightly bowed again.

An amused glint flashed behind the girl’s eyes, “So I’m guessing _that_ woman isn’t too happy with Uncle Byun right now?”

“Actually,” Liena hesitated before shrugging, “she’s always been a bit ambitious, last I heard she was rambling about how she was the most suitable wife candidate, but I heard she tried to seduce him and… err… well…”

Ah, that’s right. She remembered that Uncle was quite annoyed with a particularly clingy female. She must had done something quite drastic if her female-loving uncle would go to great lengths to actively avoid her.

The light blush dusting the woman’s cheeks caused a grin to spread. Liena’s reaction was quite innocent for her age, but who was she to judge?

She leaned forward to appear secretive.

“Between you and me, I swear he prefers a banana over two juicy oranges.”

Liena’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out with how wide they had become. The girl giggled and rocked on her heels, “Just kidding.”

Liena could only shake her head at the young girl. Now that they were talking personally, she seemed quite easy-going. Almost opposite to the person who was previously lecturing her annoying colleague. Not for the first time, she scanned the girl from head-to-toe.

Despite her short height, the young teenager looked around 22 but she knew based on her portfolio that she had recently turned 17. At such a tender age, she held the maturity of a full grown woman. Her straight, black hair was held up in a high ponytail; the end of it just reaching her hips. She had an air of quiet confidence that created a sense of wonder within her. Her posture was relaxed yet held so much authority. The beautiful fan hiding half her face highlighted her dark eyes. The girl’s eyes were heavy with experience; it seemed like she had already lived millenniums rather than a handful of years. It was no wonder that her uncle held so much trust in this slip of a woman.

“Is something wrong, Liena-shi?”

Said female snapped out of her thoughts to see a pair of worried eyes. A warm smile crept onto her face at the genuine concern, “It is nothing, Milady. Would there be anything else I could help you with?”

The girl wasn’t convinced but let it go. Unfortunately, she just didn’t have time to waste today. She shook her head, “No, that would be all,” she beamed at the older woman, “thank you for your help.”

The receptionist bowed, “You are most welcome. Have a nice day, Milady.”

She was impressed with the older woman’s bow; it wasn’t easy to give a ninety-degree bow in heels. She internally shook away her ridiculous thoughts away, and externally nodded and bowed to Liena before turning away.

As she walked away towards the exit, she didn’t see the shocked faces of the employees. It wasn’t every day that a high ranking official would give a single thought towards common courtesy. Let alone carry out the thought.

Liena could only smile. She was pleased that her initial assumption of the boss’ niece being a bratty snob was incorrect. While her blank face did give off the impression, she was glad that there was a kind heart behind the mask. The enigmatic heiress truly did deserve her title. Even with one meeting, Liena could see the young teen as a strong leader. It was a shame that she didn’t want to be named.

-

Outside, the young teenager was walking down the busy streets of Seoul while slipping her fan back into her bag: she couldn’t afford advertising herself.

She deftly navigated her way through the crowds, across busy streets before finally arriving at a popular shopping centre. The mall was quite famous for its outdoor, indoor and rooftop gardens that not only attracted customers but native wildlife. She spotted a lone Eurasian Jay fluttering from tree to tree. It was odd to see their kind within the city boundaries; she would’ve thought they would avoid the noise.

She scanned her watch and was relieved to see that she was early. The girl entered the mall and swiftly made her way to the top floor where her favourite café was situated. She adored the casual and relaxed atmosphere, the greenery of the mall made it even better. The café was coloured in beige cream with occasional splashes of pastel green, blue and reds. It reminded her of a café she had frequented back in her hometown.

The entrance held a short line of people. She slowed her swift pace, her heels barely giving a sound, and waited in line to be seated. However, it seemed the store’s owner had spotted her because the next thing she knew she was seated onto a corner seat that overlooked the entire café. Her seat was facing towards the entrance but was right next to the open window that held pots of violets.

“Would you like the usual today, young miss?”

The female looked up into kind hazel eyes and nodded with a soft smile. She saw the elderly man jot down her order and bowed his head before turning into the kitchen. No doubt to ensure her order would come out perfectly. He was almost as bad of a perfectionist as her.

Before she could forget, she took out the envelope she had slipped into her bag and ripped open the top. She opened the folded letter to find neatly written Hangeul.

_Hello sweetheart,_

_I’m so sorry that I couldn’t ask you personally, but I’m sure you wouldn’t mind helping your uncle out, right?_

The girl rolled her eyes at his sly tone.

_Do you remember Choi Win-woo? His daughter was the pianist playing on your Papa Park’s birthday. He asked if I knew anyone that would be willing to escort her around the city for a few days. It’s only to shop and attend a few events. She has a bad case of anxiety and since I knew you were arriving soon, I told him you were willing to do it._

_Some of the events are exclusively for fans but I’ve arranged it so you can attend with her. She said she was looking forward to meeting you. Don’t worry, I’ve put in a good word for you._

_Meet me at noon tomorrow in the Seoul Tower._

_Thanks for the help love~_

_-Byun Yoshi._

The young girl wanted to scowl. She really did. But years of self-discipline caused her annoyed expression to fall back into a relaxed mask. She was internally debating of gutting her womanizing uncle. Perhaps hanging his body beneath a bridge could calm some of her ire. She wasn’t usually easily riled nor was she short-tempered. But she was currently running on dead batteries and her uncle’s stunts were starting to grate on her nerves.

While her bleeding heart couldn’t deny a request for help. Her logical mind was in an uproar of a disrupted schedule. Again. She shoved aside her growing annoyance and shifted through her memories. She may as well make the most out of this situation. Her gaze went to the nearby daisies as she dived into her mind.

Yes, she did remember who Choi Win-woo was. She met him a few months ago at one of her mother’s social group gatherings. In fact, she recalled that he was the first one to make a pass at her. The memory caused her to inwardly cringe. He had mistaken her for a 25-year-old he had met earlier that day. Or rather he mistook her for her 35-year-old mother. It was times like those where she disliked her heritage. Her mother and her had always been mistaken as sisters, sometimes even twins, the smaller than normal age gap was a large factor of that misunderstanding. But that was the first time someone hadn’t apologized for that mistake they made. If anything, he was even more intrigued. He had continually pestered her until her one of her father figures intervened.

It was a wonder how he helped create such a timid but sweet girl. Contrary to what her uncle thought, she and Choi Shiyo were already acquainted. It was the few reasons why she tolerated the ‘request’ at the moment.

Noticing the wording of the letter, a smirk slipped past her mask for a few seconds before disappearing. It seemed that Shiyo-ah was as clever as she thought her to be.

She placed the letter away before snapping her eyes to the kitchen doors as they opened. She caught a whiff of her favourite drink before her usual order was carefully arranged in front of her; the dessert bowl was overflowing with cookies and cream icing with warm sliced brownies and chocolate sauce smeared all over; a jug of iced water was placed in the centre of the table with its corresponding chilled glass; her steaming hot chocolate directly to its left; and sliced strawberries in a smaller ceramic bowl was placed on her right.

She let her serene mask fall for a moment and beamed brightly at the elder, who chuckled in response to the eager female.

“Thank you so much, Ahjussi.”

His eyes softened when he noticed the barely visible eye bags of the young girl; he was surprised that she didn’t cover it up with make-up like most girls her age did with their ‘imperfections’. Then again, she didn’t exactly act like her age. And make-up had never been a priority on her list.

A surge of sympathy caused him to carefully pet her hair. He knew she wasn’t one of the teenagers that particularly cared but her hair was done extremely neatly and he didn’t want her effort to go to waste.

With her expression relaxed again, the young girl took a bite out of her dessert. Savouring both her treat and the soothing strokes the elder was giving her. She knew Korea was a rather reserved country and not all citizens were overly fond of skin-ship. It made her even more grateful that there were some that could give so freely.

Their moment came to an end when someone awkwardly cleared their throat. Her eyes, which were admiring the new batch of peonies, flitted over to the lean figure standing in front of them. Although it was slight, she caught a nervous twitch in his hand.

The elder also took note of the young male that had arrived. He was a bit disappointed that he wasn’t able to extract any ideas from the young genius, no matter how much she denied she was, but excused himself without a fuss.

When the older man was out of sight, she gestured to the opposite chair with a soft smile, “Have a seat. A waiter will come to take your order in a moment.”

The lanky male bowed and grinned, “Thanks.”

She studied his nervous form. He was as handsome in flesh as he was on screen. His height was no joke either. But then again, everyone was a giant to her. It was no wonder that he was such a popular idol.

Despite his nervous shuffling, the girl detected a sharp gaze. It seemed that she didn’t have to worry too much about them if one of them was like this on the first meeting.

She was quite surprised to see him by himself. It was no secret that the band of boys were as close as brothers. What surprised her the most was his uncovered face. Was he not worried that he would be seen by some sasaeng?

No. His mask-less face would most likely be the doing of his managers. It seemed she was trusted even when they had never met in person. She almost snorted out loud. This would most likely be due to one of her father figures pulling strings again. Oh, well. Such was life.

“Uh, so… seonsaeng-nim had said that you could help us…” he trailed off, gaze diverting away from her figure.

His attempt at starting a conversation was cute. She felt a bit mean by putting him on the spot and took over for him. Her sympathetic nature seemed to be in control lately.

She gave him a small smile, “Yeah, I could. Although, I honestly thought that one of your managers would be meeting with me.”

The girl saw him blush as a nervous chuckle broke out, “You were… but seonsaeng-nim spoke so highly of you. I was curious so I asked hyung if I could go instead…”

His shy answer made her internally frown. It seemed that her name has been passed around a bit too much for her liking. She would have to fix that.

Out of nowhere, a lightbulb flashed in her mind, “Would you like a mask?”

“Huh?”

The boy was startled at the sudden change of conversation.

“Would you like a mask?” she repeated, “You’re quite jittery. So I thought that you felt a bit too exposed without one.”

She tilted her head out of habit, “Ah, sorry, am I assuming wrong?”

He blinked but grinned as he straightened up; her cute mannerism brought a wave of relief.  At least he knew that he wasn’t dealing with some stuck-up know-it-all. Despite the praises he heard from his favourite vocal teacher, he was still suspicious about the girl. She seemed too good to be true. However, his original thoughts on her were smashed within the first few minutes of meeting her.

“Yeah, a mask would be great.”

The female took out a standard packaged mask from her bag and handed it to him over the table. He was surprised that the girl had something like this on hand but accepted it with a relieved smile. He took it out of the plastic package but didn’t put it on. Somehow, he was quite comfortable now that he had one on hand.

She sent him a questioning look when he didn’t put it on but didn’t press. She could recognize a comfort item when she saw one.

“I’m flattered that you were interested enough to find me yourself,” she gave him smile, “but do you know why I asked for a meeting in the first place?”

The young man nodded, his expression turning serious, as he brought out several folders before handing them over to the female.

He watched the girl scrutinize the contents he was tasked to deliver. Truthfully, he had no idea what the sheets were about besides their health records. His managers only agreed to let him go when he promised he wouldn’t look at the documents. The only reason why he knew their health records were inside was because he saw them pack it away. His hyungs even gave him specific instructions where to find her: Mother Nature’s mall, rooftop garden, left wing, Evry Cream’s café, right back corner table. It was almost scary how precise they were.

The girl looked mature but based off what his teacher had told him, this girl was a young prodigy, younger than him. He had expected a more serious, or at least arrogant, female. His assumption was the reason for his initial awkward intervention. That and the fact that he seemed to have interrupted a tender moment. But he was thankful for her gentle tact and proving him wrong. His teacher was right; this girl didn’t disappoint.

He would admit to himself, that she was pretty, leaning towards the cuter side; her voice soft voice reflecting her image. It was an odd combination that she somehow pulled off for someone so young; she looked mature but cute.

From her slim hands, he couldn’t tell if she played or not. His teacher warned him of her deceiving looks but he didn’t think it’d be this difficult to interpret the girl. Seonsaeng-nim said she had mastered an orchestra’s worth of instruments and more. But it was difficult to believe it with smooth looking hands. Her nails were unblemished and there wasn’t any shine of nail polish either.

Also, despite her flawless pronunciation, it was immediately obvious that she wasn’t a native Korean. However, her speech pattern was an oddity as well. Her tone had been consistently formal but she spoke with an air of authority. He doubted she noticed, it was so subtle that he barely recognized it. It was weird and a first for him to hear from someone younger than him. Even his leader spoke differently than her.

A sudden thought had occurred to him as he studied her profile. He knew that she knew his name. The flash of recognition was unmistakeable when she first saw him. But he didn’t know hers.

He didn’t want to interrupt her reading, seeing as she looked like she was concentrating really hard. But his curiosity was starting to bug him.

The girl immediately took notice of his burning eyes. She knew those types of eyes intimately seeing as the male had a similar reaction to some people she knew. Curiosity was a serious issue for them it seemed. Not like she was one to talk though.

He was mentally contemplating how to ask without being rude but before he could. She did.

“Is something the matter?”

The young man scratched the back of his head, “Was it that obvious?”

She hummed in response. The male took it as his que to continue, “I just realized that I hadn’t asked before. And I’m really sorry if I came off rude. But I’ll ask now, what’s your name?”

The young woman paused in her reading to look him in the eye while she mentally contemplated her options. She saw a distinct but familiar fire beneath the idol’s façade.

She pulsed her aura but only received an instinctual reply from the other. It seemed he wasn’t aware that he had it either. It was almost funny how his supposed super-power was fire.

She tilted her head, “It hadn’t occurred to me that you didn’t know my name, Chanyeol-shi. I apologise, I should’ve introduced myself earlier but I am called Yin.”


	3. Meetings #1

"Spoken in Korean"

"Spoken in English"

" _Spoken in Japanese_ "

* * *

 

The meeting had gone smoothly. Or rather the documents she was given were all in perfect order. It was one less thing she had to worry about. Another bonus was the idol himself. She had originally thought that he’d leave as soon as she was finished but was surprised when he ordered some food and started another conversation. Luckily, her next meeting wouldn’t start for another hour or so.

Despite the initial awkward atmosphere between them, it had slowly cleared as they continued to converse over dessert. She found that he was rather charming, his reputation as a one of the beagle lines was proving to be true. He was extremely inquisitive but quite sweet.

“So, you’re not from around here are you?”

She chuckled, “No, I’m actually just visiting for a while.”

“Where are you from? I mean, no offence, but it’s not every day that I see a foreigner that speaks so fluently. But I’m guessing somewhere in South-East Asia.”

“Spot on.”

He grinned.

“I was born in the Philippines.”

She saw his eyes widen, “Wow. Really? I’ve been there for a couple of concerts before!”

She laughed at his enthusiasm.

“Yeah, I know. Some of my friends wouldn’t shut up about you. Unfortunately, they couldn’t attend any of your concerts.”

“Really?” he leaned forward a bit, “Why’s that?”

Her expression showed disbelief, “You only held your concerts in Manila. The travel between our islands aren’t cheap for common folks and plus school is like a vice.”

He waved his hand around, “Oh no! No offence! It’s just that the concert was so large that I figured that there was a chance they were there.”

She nodded her head in understanding.

“But I’m glad that they have their priorities straight.”

Yin laughed, “Oh, I wish! If you had a concert on our island. They would be one of the first to buy a ticket! Wouldn’t be surprised if they camped outside just to be the first ones to enter. They could care less if it was during school hours when their idols were within reach.”

His eyes glinted, her laughter was soothing to his ears, “That reminds me. Have you been to one of our concerts?”

Once her laughter slowly died down, she resumed eating.

“Actually, no.”

He gaped. This girl knew them. She said so herself that she was a fan. And she’s been to South Korea more than most fans could ever afford. But hasn’t been to one of their live concerts before? That was a first.

She giggled at his expression. She reached out to gently shut his mouth.

“Don’t look so surprised. I honestly would love to see you all live. But I never find the time to,” she cleaned up the rest of her dessert and took note of his empty plate, “besides, I’ve bought all your CD’s and distribute the love among my friends as my way of supporting you guys.”

She smirked in memory, “I’m pretty sure I’ve created at least another ten EXO-L’s within the last month.”

Chanyeol blinked and beamed. He liked this girl’s way of thinking. In fact, he enjoyed talking to her. There were multiple times throughout their conversation where he forgot he was talking to a fan. He knew that he had some pretty considerate fans. But out of all that he’s met, she has to top the chart. He felt so relaxed around her and she hadn’t asked anything of him. The documents not counting seeing as that was from his managers rather than him. He was grateful that he had been able to meet her. Although, he felt that he should offer something for her company though. She didn’t seem like the type to give her time to just anyone.

He saw her rise from her seat and followed; her stature was even smaller than he predicted. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders. He wondered how tall she was without the heels; he guessed only a few inches. Top of his chest maybe?

He followed her to the counter where the elderly man he saw earlier was waiting.

Before they reached him, Yin stopped to look him in the eye. He was entranced with the girl’s dark eyes that seemed to hold so much.

“It was wonderful meeting you in person, Chanyeol-shi.”

Her bright smile was blinding.

“I hope we can meet again some time.”

She turned to the store owner who was watching their exchange. She pulled out a small list from her bag and handed it to him.

“Here you go, Ahjussi. I couldn’t find Yang’s list so it’s only mine for now,” her gaze flittered to the other male watching her, “oh, and put his meal on my tab.”

Chanyeol protested, “No! It’s okay. I can pay for mine.”

She held up a hand that effectively shut him up and gave him a sweet smile.

“It’s fine. Really. I asked for this meeting in the first place so it wouldn’t have mattered who arrived. I would’ve still paid.”

For one reason or another, her last few comments made his heart tighten a little. Chanyeol frowned at his own reaction.

The elder cleared his throat to catch the young girl’s attention and grinned, “Thank you, young miss. All your ideas are worth more than anyone can buy.”

The girl rolled her eyes, “No offence, Ahjussi. But that sounded too cheesy coming from someone like you.”

He laughed and shook his head, “Nonsense. You did say honesty is the best policy.”

She smiled and turned to see Chanyeol lost in thought. His concentrated face made his internal debate rather obvious.

“Chanyeol-shi?”

He snapped out of his thoughts to see Yin softly smiling again.

“I’m off to my next meeting,” she bowed, “so I guess this is a goodbye for now.”

Before she could turn to the exit, a large hand wrapped around her tiny wrist. Her eyes snapped towards the panicked look on his face.

He slowly let go as he stuttered, “Uh… s-sorry. It’s just that… um… it would be great if we could hang out sometime. So… uh… would it be okay if-if I could get your number?”

His hopeful eyes gave her heart a painful squeeze. She was a damn sucker for cute things. Yin nodded and whipped out her phone.

He beamed so bright that she had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent the wide grin that wanted to spread. He quickly typed in his phone number, edited his contact before ringing himself. A few minutes later, she found her phone being pushed back into her hands and the stretched out puppy jumping towards the exit.

Yin only shook her head with an amused smile. It was only then did she notice that the usual soul-ache had temporarily vanished while she was occupied with the older male. Odd.

She walked forward to reach his side and tilted her head up to look him in the eye, “Has anyone ever told you that you have the aura of a fire?”

He blinked in surprise, “No. Is that a bad thing?”

She hummed.

“Not necessarily. I find it refreshing.”

The girl didn’t see the older male’s happy face at her comment. He walked along with her as they exited the mall. He was quite surprised to see her go through the back exit.

“Can I ask something else?”

“You already did.”

He whined, “You know that’s not what I meant!”

She laughed.

“Sure. Shoot.”

“Can you call me Oppa?”

Yin almost tripped on her next step but caught herself in time. The small blunder went unnoticed by the excitable giant.

“I thought you would’ve been sick of girls calling you Oppa, Chanyeol-shi.”

He shrugged, “It’s part of being an idol. But you calling me shi sounds too formal,” his face scrunched up cutely, “I don’t like it.”

She sent him an amused glance, “Alright then,” she paused, “Chanyeol-oppa.”

The male beamed even brighter, if that was even possible, and promptly tackled her into a bear hug. His tall form completely towered over her. Despite the initial shock of the sudden contact, she hugged him back. He was glad that the gesture wasn’t unwelcome. He had been wanting to do it after she smashed his presumptions about her into oblivion. She was so small and he wondered how it would feel to hug her. The actual experience was far better than the thought. His eyes glazed over in thought; an image of a waterfall within a rainforest emerged when he inhaled her scent.

She was chuckling as she pulled back, “I think you’re the first person to react so violently after a simple request.”

He grinned, not completely letting go as they continued walking, his arm was still around her shoulder. She didn’t comment, so he took it as an okay.

Abruptly, she came to a halt just before the doors.

“You might want to put on your mask now.”

He sent a questioning look.

“Your journey here was protected by my security squad and the mall wasn’t that packed today, plus the video cameras were on high alert, so there was no chance of you getting caught,” she paused to look out the tinted glass doors, “but I can’t guarantee that outside these walls right now.”

The male nodded in a serious manner. But she thought the way his hair bobbed along with him looked too cute to be taken seriously.

She had previously and vaguely explained why his managers were so sure that he wouldn’t be followed to the meeting. She said that she was the head of a big security company and that they were one of the most trusted among Korea. If it weren’t for the fact that his teacher seemed to adore the young girl. He would’ve scoffed at the notion that this tiny thing could do something so big. But seeing as she had instantly recognized his disbelief and refuted it by recounting some of the cover-ups they did involving his sunbaes. Now he knew why the company he was working for was seen as untouchable. He had a feeling that SM wasn’t the only company she associated herself with.

He put on the mask he was given before returning his arms around her frame.

“Better?” he said.

Yin nodded and started walking again. Obediently, he followed.

-

The young teenager had _finally_ convinced the puppy-like tower to let her go off on her own. It was as if he thought that she would be swept away with the crowd with how tightly he held her. Especially when a random person started shoving their way through. She thanked the heavens for the creation of persuasion.

Now, here she was waving him off as he turned the corner back to his dormitory. It was almost funny how quickly she gained his trust enough to know where he lived. Not that it’d matter either way, since those documents were quite explicit with their details.

No. She was not some creepy stalker who convinced their manager to give her their life details. If she could, she would’ve just introduced herself right off the bat. But seeing as how her world just cannot work like that, she’ll have to find ways to integrate herself with their schedules without freaking them out. Then again, she wouldn’t even be known to them if they didn’t ask in the first place. Whether they knew they did or not was irrelevant.

Her eyes widened when she felt a distinct tug at her aura. Scanning the area, she felt nothing suspicious but the lingering presence on her psyche told her otherwise. Again, that annoying ache was back.

Shrugging, Yin retraced her steps back onto a main road and hailed for a taxi. It would be no good if the curious boy followed her.

She directed the driver to the backstreet of an infamous private runway. After paying the driver, she exited the vehicle and made her way around the property.

She entered a natural walkway, hidden by the branches of the towering tree that covered the entrance, to make her way into a rose garden. The usual rhythmic click of her heeled boots were muffled by the rich earth. Only the occasional crackle of dried leaves gave way her presence. However, the surrounding creatures didn’t scurry away. In fact, most of the furry little ones peaked their heads out of their bush to glance at the newcomer. Majority of the wild life were already used to her spontaneous visits so it was no surprise when a few bunnies, ranging from pure white to earth brown and an occasional black, hopped to her side. They hopped along with her towards the pavilion situated at the centre of the wild rose garden. Grape vines clung and curled around the structure making it look like it grew with the earth rather than built on it.

None of the creatures dared step onto the concrete.

Finally, she arrived onto the pavilion. Yin placed her hand, palm down, on a metal platform that was placed in the centre of the cement structure. Within moments, a white line of light started glowing from the metal around her hand. She slowly twisted her hand anticlockwise, simultaneously the adjacent gate creaked open. She stopped once there was enough room for her to slip through.

As she walked out of the garden, she flicked a sunflower that was on the left side of the gate, and entered another pathway: this one man-made. The gates creaked close with a loud clang. The bunnies scurried back to their dens.

Her heels arrived on concrete and resumed its beat. As the young teenager took a few more twist and turns, she admired the handiwork of some of her clan members. The pathway was more like an aisle with the way the trees curved over and overhung to create a natural rooftop. The rose bushes that were lined along the side created a unique scent when combined with the wisteria floating around.

Finally, a gigantic, puke green shed came into view. It was quite a contradiction to the elegant view behind her.

Without knocking, she entered the unlocked door and made her way into the common room: their biggest private plane. Or was it a jet? Either way, the shed was literally a storage of planes either created or destroyed by this particular group. Besides the destroyed planes, and this one, they were all fully functional but their actual uses varied depending on her orders. Usually Yang or one of her ‘older brothers’ would be the ones to actually use them.

Otherwise, they just liked tinkering with the technology she gave and constantly experimented. It was a good thing that this neighbourhood was so secretive. Knowing how loud this group was, she would’ve been surprised if they hadn’t got arrested yet – if they were elsewhere.

Her clan had strong ties with multiple gangs but this one had to be one of her favourites. She had a feeling that they would play a key role in her future goals. The girl had no doubt that none of them were unwilling. After all, they were the ones that offered their services.

“Ay~! Look who’s back!” she heard someone shout.

Yin grinned as multiple pair of eyes finally took notice of her presence.

“Honestly sweetheart, say somethin’! How long have ya been ther’?” a man, possibly in his late fifties, with grey streaks and smile wrinkles grinned at the only female. His strong Southern accent made her eyes soften.

Said female only shrugged with her natural serene mask falling back into place, “Only a few minutes. Ya’ll are gettin better at spottin’ me.”

A younger brunette to her right snorted, “Only cause yer’ lettin’ us. But don’t worry, we’ll spot ya before ya even enter a room, one day. Anyways, shouldn’t ya be speakin’ in Korean?”

“Then why aren’t cha,” she shot back.

“Ya started it.”

“Actually, Rodel did.”

The brunette was about to retort but a different ravenette cut him off, “She’s right, ya know.”

“For pete’s sake man! Whose side are ya on!”

“Logic.”

Yin giggled at their antics; Rodel and Jayvee could never seem to stop arguing.

The elder male caught her attention when she saw the box in his hands. Yin almost scowled but refrained from making any… distasteful comments.

“Another one?”

He sent an apologetic smile, “Sorry sweetheart, yer’ the only one I trust here,” he discreetly motioned to the bickering duo who were now being cheered on by their peers, “they get distracted.”

She internally sighed. Now she had even less free-time before D-day. She approached the elder and sat on the offered seat. Despite the engine being in ruin, the interior of the jet was as sleek and shiny as it was first found.

“Is there anything else, Raven?”

“Yes, actually,” he pulled out another two boxes but unlike the plain leather bound one she had been tasked with, these ones were made of metal and had engravings on their lids. One had a tiger and the other had a wolf; both creatures were curled around a lotus flower; the eyes of the animals and the centre of the flora were a sparkling amethyst. The sight caused her eyes to widen. She had just stopped herself from gaping like a fish out of water. The elder pushed both boxes to her over the table, “I got these yesterday. By the look on yer face, ya already know ‘bout them?”

She nodded but said nothing. Raven sighed but shook his head in amusement, “It’s almost ironic how I trust ya ‘cause of yer’ secretiveness n’ yet I despise how ya don’t tell me these lil’ things.”

She smirked at that and placed all the boxes into her bag.

“Hey sweetheart,” he seemed to hesitate, “can I ask ya for one more favour?”

The young teen tilted her head in acknowledgement.

“Can ya bring the youngsters with ya?”

Surprised, her eyes snapped to the now chattering group. The bickering duo seemed to have found something more interesting than their argument. She turned questioning eyes back to him.

“Ya don’t have ta, if ya don’t wanna,” he assured, “It’s just that they’ve been a lil’ irritated lately. Imma worried their bickerin’ is gonna escalate into full blown arguments.”

Meaning fist fights. Ugh, honestly, do these boys know how to talk?

She pursued her lips in thought. While she didn’t particularly mind their presence. Raven’s request felt… off. She had a feeling that he was insinuating something else as well but couldn’t quite place what it was.

She shrugged, “Sure thin’.”

Raven grinned, his smile lines even more obvious with his joyful expression. It still fascinated her how happy some people became with the simplest of things.

She stood from her seat and adjusted her bag: the weight unbalancing her again. She softly smiled, “Imma be off now, Raven. Have a good evenin’. Imma also take them with me now, if ya don’t mind.”

Raven nodded. The young girl turned towards the exit.

As she walked to the open door, she reached into her subconscious and pulled an intangible thread from her deep well, stretching it towards the group of young males. She used the string to poke at their inner auras, tugging on the more reluctant ones. By the time she reached the main door of the shed, the young group was making their way down the stairs of the plane.

She rolled her eyes at their pouting faces, “Don’t worry boys. Imma gonna be handin’ ya’ll over to Lance when we get back.”

At once all their faces, except Rodel’s, had paled considerably. Internally, she smirked at their reactions. It seemed even three years of separation did nothing to abate their fear of the infamous slave-driver. She turned and made her way out the shed.

She led them into another shed; this one a more neutral grey. It held three of her favourite machines; one of them belonging to her other half.

Before she even stepped five meters in, the main door of the middle jet opened while its connecting staircase ejected. She paused her group in front of said plane to allow the stairs to settle on the concrete. Once the amber lights embedded onto the stairs flashed, she boarded.

Black tail coats, white buttoned-up polo shirts and black trousers greeted her when she entered the plane. She spotted at least two unfamiliar faces. New recruits, perhaps?

To her left, the pilot’s door opened and revealed a very familiar butler, “ _Hello Sebastian,_ ” she greeted.

“ _Good day, Ohime-sama. Would you like some refreshments?_ ”

“ _No, thank you,_ ” she glanced back at the unsure boys, “ _but they might. Do make them feel welcome, they’ll be… accompanying… me for a few trips._ ”

With his gloved hand over his heart, he bowed and escorted her to her usual seat just in front of the wings. Once she got herself comfortable, Sebastian waved over the unfamiliar faces.

There was three; it seemed one was hiding from her eye-sight on arrival.

“ _I would like to introduce some new students, Ohime-sama. To the left is Royce, the middle is Lax and to the right is Fin. You’ll have to excuse their presence while I serve you, they wished to join within our ranks and so need experience. As always, you’ll be the final assessor of their place. I do suggest one-on-one time with each for a proper assessment of their capabilities._ ”

She cocked an eyebrow at his terse speech. He never did like the idea of sharing.

Her soft voice was laced with amusement, “ _Alright, then. Was there anything of importance that needed my immediate attention?_ ”

She saw a sharp glint before his calm façade folded back on. Ah, it seemed it was too important. That was worrying. First day back and she already was swamped with work.

“ _Nothing as of now, Ohime-sama._ ”

She nodded at his message.

Sebastian handed her some files; each contained the profile of the three nervous males. They bowed in synchrony when she made eye contact with each.

With a disarming smile, she said, “ _Hello boys. Please do relax, I swear I don’t bite,_ ” she chuckled, “ _I am called Yin. As of now, I will be your primary Master. However, should you be accepted into this rank, my twin, Yang, will also become a primary Master. For now, please do follow Sebastian’s orders and do forgive his attitude. He can be on the irritating side._ ”

Simultaneously, the boys’ stances relaxed. She personally knew how intimidating her dark butler can be and completely understood their thoughts.

“ _I’m hurt, Ohime-sama,_ ” she chanced an amused glance at the pale male, “ _Why ever would I be deliberately irritating to one such as you._ ”

His fake hurt expression caused her to smirk, “ _I never said you did it deliberately_ ,” she turned her gaze back to the shell-shocked boys. Huh. It seemed Sebastian’s strict image was falling apart in their heads. She did so love breaking expectations.

A thought occurred to her when she spotted the young group of males being seated, “ _I’m assuming you’ve all graduated from the Academy?_ ”

Simultaneously, the three new recruits nodded, “ _Hai, Yin-sama._ ”

Sebastian glared at the trio, “ _That is Ohime-sama to you three._ ”

Yin sighed and softly patted her pale butler’s covered arm; his entire being relaxed at her touch.

“ _Don’t be like that, Sebastian_ ,” she sent an apologetic smile to the -once again- nervous students, “ _It’s fine boys. You can call me as you wish, I don’t mind so much._ ”

She cut off Sebastian’s protest before it was vocalised, “ _But for the sake of Sebastian’s peace of mind, you can either call me Ohime, Hime or Oujo-sama. Either way, it doesn’t bother me_.”

The young teenager filed away their documents, “ _Besides that, I was going to tell you about my guests,_ ” the boys looked towards the young group of males settled on the other side of the plane, “ _Their Japanese is limited so I would appreciate if you would either speak English or Korean. But with me…_ ” she chanced a glanced at her picky butler, “ _any language is fine._ ”

Sebastian nodded along with the trio.

“ _Anyways, I advise you all to buckle up soon. Unfortunately, I am in a hurry and would appreciate some speed._ ”

Sebastian straightened his stance at her hint, “ _Of course, Ohime-sama. Where will we be heading off to now?_ ”

“ _China._ ”


	4. Finishing with Seven

"Spoken in Korean"

" **Spoken in Mandarin** "

* * *

 

Four hours later, she found herself in a meeting full of self-righteous men who had no clue she was even there. It was perfect.

She had received intel that day about this meeting and was too curious for her own good. The plane ride was thankfully only about twenty minutes; it gave her plenty of time to set up the room to view and record the conversation that she _knew_ was going to take place. She felt like jumping to the moon and back. Thoughts of relaying her finding to her other half had her speeding up the process.

So far, the usual business reviews were executed by each men’s secretary, most of whom were female.

She frowned at one particular female. Despite her demure but attentive attitude towards her boss, there was an unmistakeable gleam in her eyes. One she was too familiar with. It seemed he was either going to be bankrupt within the next week or will probably be killed or kidnapped. Or do you call it man-napped?

She shook away the ridiculous thought.

The girl was in an adjacent compartment that led into the meeting room; her equipment was neatly set-out across the room. They ranged from the usual multi-screen desk tops to some weird machine that looked like an open brain with the way the visible cords overlapped one another.

“ **Juan, shut all the lights.** ”

Hm, Mandarin was truly an interesting language. She saw the said woman, the one with the dark intent, close all the blinds and brought down all the shutters.

“ **Good. Now, we can begin gentlemen,** ” a middle-aged man with a devious smile said.

She noticed the shift in mood. Now, we’re getting to the good bit.

“ **Recent reports have stated that we are no longer on _their_ radar.** ”

Yin smirked. _Their_ \- meaning the government. It was quite amusing to see their relieved faces. So they thought they were safe? That could only mean they were hiding something bigger than she anticipated.

“ **Excellent. Well, gentlemen, This One advises we move onto Stage 2 immediately.** ”

She spotted the panic behind some of their masks. Oh? They didn’t want to?

“ **Sir, with all due respect, isn’t that too soon?** ”

“ **He’s right sir, we have just slid off _their_ radar. We cannot afford to have another slip up**.”

The deviant man with cold eyes glared at the duo, “ **Are you saying we will have a slip up? Unacceptable**.”

She saw the moment their true panic broke through.

“ **No! No! Of course not sir, we were simply advising caution!** ”

Juan’s boss, the same man that glared at the bumbling duo, slowly stood. His bulky frame blocked one of the camera’s at his back. She switched to a different camera.

His booming voice echoed throughout the concrete box, “ **This One has his own advisors and does not have a need for incompetent fools like you two. Be glad that This One still wants your companies to work with This One’s own empire. However, do not mistake the fact that This One does not need either of you. You both are simply here for the show. Cross the line once more and This One will ensure that our precious homeland soil will not be tainted by the likes of either of you** ,” he sat down again with a final warning glare.

That was quite an ironic speech if she could say so herself.

She felt soft fur brush against her hands and looked down; she found electric blue eyes staring into her own dark ones – a clear message shared. Her hand naturally reached down to pet the pristine white fur, paying particular attention to some of the smooth black stripes. It seemed Sora had found what they were looking for. She watched him as his image slowly blurred fading into golden dust that slowly settled over and on her being; her hand fell back to her side. She felt her psyche pulse as the rest of the dust settled. That’s better.

She turned her attention back to the tense room.

“ **Yes, sir**.”

The bulky man nodded as a sly smirk crawled back onto his face, “ **Juan, show them our new toy**.”

Said woman swiftly powered up the laptop and the room was flooded in fluorescent white. The young teenager heard many gasps around the room and adjusted the camera’s lens to enlarge the image on the whiteboard.

She softly slapped a hand over her mouth, smothering the cackle that wanted to pass. Oh, this was gold!

A video was showcasing the inside of, what looked like, a factory. The clanger and loud clicks of machinery and the occasional shout of work-men, plus the labourer who approached the screen, let her know it was a live stream.

“ **Boss,** ” the workman greeted.

“ **This one wants his toy fully operational for demonstration.** ” Sheesh. Demanding.

The workman saluted, “ **Yes, sir.** ”

As the video switched to another camera that showed their latest ‘toy’. Yin tinkered with a few buttons before pressing the bright green ‘GO’ button on the brain-like machine. Instantly, the location of the factory blinked onto one of her screens, while records upon records of CCTV, transactions, legal cases and letters flowed through the others.

She still kept monitoring the meeting room on a separate screen and the video on another.

Their ‘toy’ looked simple enough from the outside; it was a massive chunk of metal that looked like it was trying to be a box but ended up being a demented trashcan. But her eyes widened at the internal set-up. And a silent giggle passed her lips.

Japan was not going to be happy with this.

Rows upon rows of tiny microchips, most barely looked bigger than the tip of her pinkie, were displayed in glass cases. The handheld camera zoomed in on a central display – the video was too shaky for the camera to be stationary.

This specific microchip was a dead giveaway of its origin; no other artist besides her infamous Uncle Taisho could create that invisible code surrounding the chip like an aura. She doubted the humans in the other room noticed though.

“ **Gentlemen,** ” the devil started, “ **we have hit the jackpot! This little baby was found at a popular technology branch of the F.T.S Corporation. With little persuasion on our part, they had willingly surrendered all fifteen hundred thousand in exchange for a warehouse**.”

“ **A warehouse, sir?** ” a man covered in shadows asked.

“ **Yes, a warehouse. Hah! It was an absolute bargain! It seemed that they are completely oblivious to the potential that these little ones could do!** ”

The same man questioned again, “ **Which warehouse, sir?** ”

In the recess of her mind, there was a familiar growl. Yin frowned at the shadowed man. He seemed familiar. With another hidden camera, she took a snapshot of his face and sent it to one of her butler’s to have his face identified.

“ **This One assures you, it was unused. They had received the lock and keys to the warehouses that we had hidden within the mountains.** ”

She saw a faint frown on the shadow man’s face, “ **Those warehouses contained all the prototypes to our designs, did they not? Is it not dangerous to hand over such valuable equipment to an unknown? They could be a possible enemy; the F.T.S Corporation are notoriously known to be owned by some of the shrewdest businessmen. Also, you had only mentioned a warehouse: why did you send a set of warehouses?** ”

“ **Calm, be calm, my wings,** ” another slimy smirk crawled onto the devil’s face, “ **the rest of the warehouses were a simple incentive to do as we please with their… gift… as for the prototypes: did we not destroy their central systems and burned the rest of them? There is nothing to fret about. While they are known as such, they are also known to be very inclusive. That is to say, as long as we don’t touch them, they won’t touch us.** ”

Yin felt an eyebrow twitch in irritation. So they thought they couldn’t find their buried treasure? How naïve. Besides, the only way from stopping them from recreating a masterpiece would be to… not create it in the first place.

The shadow man’s face went deceptively blank again, showing the lack of his displeasure, but his flickering energy told her otherwise. Despite the topic of the conversation, she just _knew_ that his annoyance wasn’t towards the devil giving away the warehouses. What he was actually annoyed about, well, she was going to find out.

“ **Then that brings me to another question: What can these ‘babies’ do?** ”

His slight, almost sarcastic, emphasis on the microchips went unnoticed by the devil whose smile just got wider. Seriously, that devil was going to be dripping in oil very soon, his voice alone was just… sleazy. She scrunched up her nose at the thought.

“ **Indeed, what can they do? They could provide an entertaining show involving the dissolution of every technology-driven company out there; they could create living, breathing robots; they could potentially control every little thing of this universe; and they can make us filthy stinking rich!** ”

Yin smothered the snort that wanted to pass. Um… world domination, much?

“ **These little ones, when attached into a selected form, can literally control every little thing about that form. From the way it looks to how it acts. In fact, they are about to give you a few demonstrations.** ”

The workman from earlier appeared on the screen and picked up the tiny microchip with metal tweezers. He placed it onto a nearby rock that wasn’t any bigger than a fist.

“ **The program that is needed to control that microchip has been installed onto This One’s laptop. Juan, make it into a red statue of This One.** ”

She saw the other woman’s face flash with disgust before her fingers flew over the keyboard. Within a few seconds, the rock started shaking, trembling, before a sound -almost like ripping fabric- screeched out and the plain rock started to stretch. A faint outline of a human body was seen before the surface of the rock started to contour itself; a sharp nose, thin lips and a double chin with a visible stubble; bulky arms, legs and fatty hands and covered feet; then slowly, very slowly, she could make out medallions on his left chest.

The statue was done. Then all at once, the entire thing went red. Not just any red – a deep dark blood-like hue of red that made her cringe. The colour highlighted his greasy smirk on the statue: it made him look like someone who stole and enslaved children for a living.

She felt a wisp of cold air enter the room. Her eyes flashed an electric blue. Someone was snooping – immediately she covered the equipment in her aura and locked it away from all senses – her eyes faded back to their natural dark brown.

The cold air slithered along and around the room, poking and prodding at everything it came into contact with – including her hidden aura. It made her shiver, not unpleasantly, but almost in recognition. Her eyes flew over to the shadow man who was discreetly looking towards her compartment. Ah. He’s a double agent.

-

The meeting was finally over after another two hours of that devil’s dreary bragging. Honestly, you’d think a mastermind of such a widely recognised company would have more in his mind than how great he is.

Delusional. The only word she could currently describe him as.

During the two hours, she had discovered a few unique facts while she researched: one, the shadow man was actually a very far related cousin (no wonder his probing aura was familiar); two, her darling Uncle Taisho was bored and gave the technology without any safety warnings (go figure); and three, Juan was planning on bankrupting the company _and_ killing the devil.

Now, if it weren’t for these damn morals imbedded since childhood, she would’ve let the older woman do as she pleased. However, this company had a dangerous -almost lethal- weapon in their hands and were internationally recognised. Meaning the sudden downfall of this ‘empire’ would lead to an international crisis; she had no doubt that there were many greedy hands just waiting for the opportunity to snatch such valuable assets.

Oh, did she forget to mention that the microchips given were faulty and so had an inbuilt self-destructing countdown after they’re activated. Yeah… that rock only had approximately, less than, twenty-two hours left before it exploded into tiny particles and blow up the rest of the factory with it. And that was her being generous with time.

She wondered how none of the workers knew that. Or maybe they did and didn’t bother reporting it to the big boss. Yeah, that was a smart choice.

Yin waited until it was only Juan left. Then, with a wave of her hand, all the equipment shut themselves down and started folding in on itself: compressing, flattening into slim sheets then folding itself. Once they reached the size of a playing card, she watched them fly themselves into a red velvet box – neatly arranging themselves into her preferred order.

She snapped the box closed and threw it out of the adjacent window. She trusted that one of her new recruits would take the hint and put it away.

Shouldering her favourite messenger bag, she deftly entered the meeting room without a sound and sat down on one of the plush arm chairs. She brought out her fan and phone: Covering half her face as she started texting her best friend.

The snap of the fan must had alerted the other woman because the next thing she felt was the barrel of a gun on her forehead. She clicked send before lazily trailing her eyes up towards the older woman.

“ **How’d you get in here?** ” her Mandarin was shaky. So she wasn’t a native. Ah, of course.

Without saying a word, she nodded her head towards the compartment she was previously occupying.

The woman glanced over to the area but didn’t lift her gun.

“ **A hidden entrance…?** ”

Yin’s soft voice explained, “ **A hidden compartment. I arrived here much earlier than the rest of you. You plan on killing that devil, right?** ”

Juan started, her entire being stiffened at being found out, but the younger girl’s eyes were still soft. She glared at the sitting female.

“ **You got a problem?** ”

“ **Nope**.”

“ **Then-,** ” she began but paused, “ **What?** ”

Yin blinked and said, “ **What?** ”

“ **No, I mean what did you just say?** ”

“ **What?** ”

“ **What did you just say?** ”

“ **…What?** ”

A wave of frustration was building in her muscles; Yin had to suppress a smirk.

“ **I said, what did you just say.** ”

“ **And I said, what?** ”

“ **No!** ” the woman’s face went red with restrained anger, “ **Before that!** ”

Yin gave an innocent blink and widened her eyes, “ **Oh! That! I said, nope.** ”

The ire was instantly swept away with her look. What was a girl like her doing here?

“ **So, if you’re not here to stop me, then what are you here for?** ”

The younger girl took on a pensive look and the older slowly lifted her gun away. But she left it hanging by her side, just in case.

“ **… Negotiation.** ”

Juan frowned, “ **On?** ”

“ **Course of action**.”

“ **What’s wrong with mine?** ”

“ **Besides it being morally incorrect?** ”

The older woman snorted, “ **What are morals in this day and age.** ”

“ **Something mostly forgotten, obviously**.”

Juan blinked at the blunt reply and laughed. And laughed. She laughed so hard to the point where she had to drop her gun to hold her stomach. She laughed till the pain in her stomach brought her to her knees. She laughed till she forgot what she was laughing about. The girl's response wasn't even funny. It was the absurdity of the current situation that finally caught up to her brain: Here she was planning the death of greasy old man and a little girl who barely looked twenty actually made her rethink her thorough planning. Laughing seemed to be the only thing that she could do.

All the while, Yin watched the older woman trying to catch her breathe on the floor with a sad smile. Juan caught her look and slowly sat up, her back straight and rigid, but her expression softer – more open. She didn't bother picking up the gun again. Somehow she knew it would've been useless whether she had it or not. Perhaps the heavens decided to finally give her a long awaited sign in the form of a young teenager.

“ **At least I know that you haven’t forgotten them.** ”

This time, Yin snorted behind her fan, “ **My mother would see to it that I don’t. Otherwise, I’d be hanging by my toes on her washing line.** ”

A slow, nostalgic grin showed itself on her face, “ **I can relate. My mother never did like the thought of me leaving the nest.** ”

“ **You didn’t have to.** ”

Juan’s eyes turned sharp, “ **No. But I needed to.** ”

“ **Revenge won’t stop the bleeding.** ”

“ **Neither does time.** ”

“ **At least time doesn’t create more blood.** ” Yin saw Juan hesitate and sighed, “ **Are you willing to listen?** ”

The older woman stared at the younger. There was something about this girl.

Then a belated realisation occurred – she wasn’t scared. Not when she was -assumingly- hiding from the gang of disgusting men. And not when a piece of metal that could instantaneously end her life was rested against her forehead.

She looked calm and kind. Her eyes were that of a night owl that had survived too many storms. It brought a wave of sympathy. And an old ache that she had almost forgotten about. No child should have to bear the burden of the world.

“ **I’m listening…** ”

Yin smiled, knowing exactly where the cooperation was coming from, “ **How do you feel about taking over this empire?** ”

-

The young teenager waved the older woman off; the limousine easily blending in with the rest of the crowded streets. Juan reciprocated the gesture with a flying kiss.

That wasn’t too hard.

Yin sighed and checked the time. It was almost time for dinner… but she couldn’t bother waiting for the food. Turning on her heel, she opted instead to walk to a local restaurant.

She found herself seated in a rather comfortable setting; warm amber lights, wooden seats and chairs – it really gave a country feel. The occasional mini-garden that was scattered around helped to highlight the room with some more colour. Scents of sandal wood and lilacs brought a wave of nostalgia. Another sad smile touched her lips as she scanned the menu; Gretchen would have loved this place.

She took no notice of the flirty waiter and ordered her meal. Her eyes flicked over to the window, watching the outside world.

Yin was brought out of her reverie by the sound of loud excitable chatter in front. A young group of Korean men seemed to be heavily discussing the menu. She counted six voices but found a seventh member in the corner – quietly studying the menu. That daily ache was slowly abating again.

Ah, she almost forgot about JYP Appa’s ties with the Chinese entertainment industry.

“ **Here’s your meal beautiful,** ” the waiter came back with a tray full of seafood.

The young girl resisted to roll her eyes and nodded instead, “ **Thank you.** ”

Thank the heavens he took the hint and left.

Another voice disturbed her peace, “ **Sorry to disturb, but could we use that hot sauce?** ”

She looked up to meet a charming smile. The girl looked to the side and spotted said sauce. With a soft smile, she handed it over.

“ **Thank you!** ”

She still felt their eyes on her but ignored the drilling stares. She opted to dig into her meal.

“ **What’s a pretty girl like you eating alone?** ” the same guy asked.

A different boy gaped and smacked the guy’s arm as he scolded, “Hyung! That’s none of our business!”

Another male piped up with a frown, “He’s right, Jackson. Don’t disturb her.”

“Don’t be a stiff Jinyoung. You and I both know that you wanted to ask,” Jackson grinned and turned his eyes to another member, “Is that anyway to treat your hyung, Yuggie?”

The younger boy scowled, “Why don’t you act like it then? Even I know it’s a bad idea to disturb a girl’s peace.”

“At least I would’ve done it with more tact,” Jinyoung muttered.

She looked up from her meal to send an amused smile. She thought it would be best to show her understanding, there was no point in hiding it anyways, “You know I have ears, right?”

At once all the men blinked and stared.

“What is it?” she cocked her head, “Is something on my face?”

“You’re Korean?” Jackson gaped.

She chuckled and shook her head.

She saw Jaebum roll his eyes, “Don’t be a moron Jackson. Just because she can speak the language doesn’t mean she's born in the culture.”

Jackson shrugged, “I was just asking.”

Yin continued to eat.

“Um,” the previously scowling boy was scratching the back of his head, “I’m really sorry about hyung. He gets a little… worked up… around pretty girls and forgets his manners. So I’ll ask first, what’s your name?”

She was about to answer but Jackson cut her off, “Oi! I was talking to her first!”

She shook her head in amusement and softly spoke, “Yin.”

The boy grinned, “That’s a pretty name, it suits you. I’m Yugyeom, by the way.”

The young female gave Yugyeom a soft smile.

Jackson was pouting.

“Is something wrong, Jackson-shi?”

His pout deepened, “Oppa.”

The girl blinked, “Pardon?”

“You have to call me Oppa.”

What was it with idols and that term?

“I haven’t even known you for more than five minutes, Jackson-shi, it feels awkward to call a stranger Oppa.”

Jackson blinked, he seemed to have just realised something, “Wait… don’t you know who we are?”

Yin chuckled again, “Of course I do. You’re all GOT7, right?”

The rest of the boys seemed startled at her words, their relaxed stances went defensive immediately. Their reaction caused her heart to squeeze, it made her so sad how wary their title made them. But despite the sudden mood change, Jackson still insisted.

“Then why don’t you call me Oppa? I _am_ older than you.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Are you assuming my age, Jackson-shi?”

Triggered. She internally giggled at her lame joke: Her Aussie classmates have too much influence on her.

“Ah, no, no!” he seemed to flounder on his words, “It’s just that you don’t look any older than twenty!”

She smirked, “So you _are_ assuming my age.”

“Wait… no that’s not what I meant!”

She laughed. Oh, the poor boy didn’t seem to get it.

“I was just kidding, Jackson-shi.”

The other boys were slowly relaxing again; she could see the way their body language became more receptive. All of them were now facing her. They seemed amused at their member’s reaction.

“Then, do we need a proper introduction, Yin-shi, was it?” Jinyoung smiled.

“No need,” she smiled back, “And I’m pretty sure that’s your food.” She motioned to the awkward waitress waiting to put down her burden.

Immediately, almost all their attention was diverted to the food. She still felt an occasional stare but thankfully they didn’t bug her anymore.

She quickly finished up her meal and waved over the same waiter.

“ **All set beautiful? I’ll give you your bill if you give me your number.** ”

Seriously?! This guy was still at it?!

With her usual calm face, she cut the boy with her soft but sharp voice, “ **How does that even work? I refuse to pay to _give_ my number away. Never mind. I’ll just pay at reception.** ”

She stood abruptly but paused at his apology.

“ **Sorry miss,** ” he bowed, “ **I was out of line** ,” a strained smile made its way onto his face, “ **but would you still allow me to get your bill.** ”

With a silent sigh, she sat back down and nodded. The waiter hastily made his way to the reception.

She felt the stares again and wiped away her annoyance before turning to the curious boys. With an amused smile she asked in Korean, “Is something the matter?”

“Uh…” a light haired boy trailed off.

 Jackson cut in, “Sorry about that,” he sent a small smile, “They aren’t usually like that. He must be a new recruit.”

She tilted her head, “Why are you apologising?”

He shrugged, “It’s one of my favourite places. Wouldn’t want people bad-mouthing it.”

She nodded, “Don’t worry, I’m not one for vocal reviews anyways.”

Jinyoung piped up, “Have you been here often?”

“No. This is the first time I’ve been to this restaurant.”

“No,” he corrected himself, “I mean to China. And Korea for that matter. You could easily be mistaken for a native with the way you talk.”

She chuckled, “Thank you, I guess. But yes, I tend to frequent both countries.”

“Where are you from?” the light haired boy, who she knew was Bambam, asked.

“How about you guess,” she teased.

Jaebum started with a smirk, “Spain?”

She blinked at his unintentional reference and shook her head, “Not quite.”

“England?”

Yin grinned at Bambam’s random guess.

“Nope.”

“Somewhere in Asia?” Jinyoung said.

“Yep.”

Jackson continued, “North or South?”

“South.”

“South East Asia?”

She nodded, “Uhuh.”

“Malaysia?”

She shook her head.

Bambam’s eyes suddenly sparked, “Thailand?”

She suppressed a giggle at his enthusiasm but gave him an apologetic smile, “Nope.”

Youngjae, who was oddly quiet till now, randomly said, “Indonesia?”

She shook her head.

The silent boy suddenly piped up, “Philippines.”

“Bingo,” she said with a bright smile.

“Wow, really?” Jackson scanned her face, “Now that I think about it. That should’ve been obvious. And now that I really think about it, you never did tell me how old you were.”

She smirked, “You never asked.”

Yin heard his teammates laugh at his crestfallen expression. She shouldered her bag and just smiled at the obvious comradery between them. The waiter came back with her bill which she paid and stood.

“Sorry to cut our conversation short,” she glanced at her clock, “But I’ve got a plane to catch back to Korea.”

“When’s your flight?” Mark asked.

“In four hours.”

Youngjae looked confused, “Could you be taking Fin Airlines?”

She blinked, “Yes, I am. Why?”

A look was shared among the members. Jinyoung shrugged and said, “I think it’s the same flight we’re taking.”

Yin hummed, “I don’t think telling a fan is such a good idea.”

“So you ARE a fan! Why won’t you call me Oppa?!” Jackson wailed.

His complaint would’ve been cute if I weren’t for attention he was drawing. Thankfully, Jinyoung whacked him over him head and scolded, “Jackson! You’re too loud!”

The young man quietened down, a nervous chuckle left his lips. She smiled to herself. Another overexcitable puppy.

“Anyways,” Jaebum began, “It was nice meeting you, Yin-shi. It’s been awhile since I’ve met a fan like you. I hope the shadows will be kind enough to let us meet again.”

His team looked confused but he didn’t pause to explain. But she knew exactly what he meant and gave him a secretive smile. She reached into her bag and gave him a falsely blank piece of paper.

“The pleasure is all mine, Jaebum-shi. And I'm sure we will; they're always with you after all...”

The leader grinned, “And I hope it stays that way.”

Soft, brown wavy hair and pretty green eyes came to mind. Yin smiled, “I’m sure it will.”

She waved and turned with a smile. The k-pop idols waved back, some more enthusiastically than others. She felt a soothing calm cover her when she looked back at the warm group. She wasn’t sure if she liked what her conscious was suggesting with these boys.

She left the restaurant and shivered at the cold ache. Damnit, it was back. She forcibly shoved the feeling aside.

Hailing a taxi, she hopped in and asked for the international airport. Not a moment later, the driver assimilated himself with the rest of the traffic.

She took a deep breath a delved back into her aura. Nothing was amiss… yet why did she feel so serene with those men?

She had never felt completion without her other half. Hence their stage names; Yin and Yang. And yet, eight men, including Chanyeol, had so easily wiped away that ache. Not even her precious Kuya’s -her brothers- could soothe that wound.

It worried her. She had this since she could remember and it’s only now that these types of people were appearing?

Maybe a chat with her grandma would help?


End file.
